The Bass-Heller-Swan formula for the equivariant topological Whitehead group (Q1198528)

There is a well-known splitting of the algebraic Whitehead group \(Wh(\pi\times\mathbb{Z})\), called the Bass-Heller-Swan formula: \[ Wh(\pi\times\mathbb{Z})= Wh(\pi)\oplus \widetilde{K}_ 0(\mathbb{Z}\pi)\oplus \widetilde{Nil}(\mathbb{Z}\pi)\oplus \widetilde{Nil}(\mathbb{Z}\pi). \] There is an analogous splitting of the equivariant \(PL\)-Whitehead group \(Wh^{PL}_ G(X)\) of a \(G\)-space \(X\) for a compact Lie group \(G\). In contrast to the non-equivariant setting \(Wh^{PL}_ G\) does not classify (equivariant) topological \(h\)-cobordisms. This is done by the equivariant topological Whitehead group \(Wh^{Top}_ G\) introduced by Steinberger and West. It is related to the \(PL\)-version and its controlled version by an exact sequence \[ Wh^{PL}_ G(X)_ c\to Wh^{PL}_ G(X)\to Wh^{Top}_ G(X)\to \widetilde{K}^{PL}_{0G}(X)_ c\to \widetilde{K}^{PL}_{0G}(X). \] Steinberger has also given a Bass- Heller-Swan formula for the controlled equivariant \(PL\)-Whitehead group \[ Wh^{PL}_ G(X\times S^ 1)_ c= Wh^{PL}_ G(X)_ c\oplus \widetilde{K}^{PL}_{0G}(X)_ c. \] The main result of this article gives a Bass-Heller-Swan decomposition also for the equivariant topological Whitehead group. Theorem: If \(X\) is a compact \(G\)-\(ANR\) and \(G\) acts trivially on \(S^ 1\), then \[ Wh^{Top}_ G(X\times S^ 1)=Wh^{Top}_ G(X)\oplus\widetilde{K}^{Top}_{0G}(X)\oplus\widetilde{Nil}_ G(X)\oplus\widetilde{Nil}_ G(X). \] The \(Nil\)-groups are the equivariant analogues of the \(Nil\)-groups appearing in the original Bass-Heller-Swan formula for the algebraic Whitehead group. The summand \(\widetilde{K}^{Top}_{0G}(X)\) is, by definition, the subgroup of \(Wh^{Top}_ G(X\times S^ 1)\) consisting of elements which are invariant under the double covering map of \(S^ 1\). Its proof is based on the exact sequence comparing the various equivariant Whitehead groups and reduced \(K_ 0\)-groups and the Bass- Heller-Swan formula for \(Wh^{PL}_ G(X\times S^ 1)\) and the identification of \(\widetilde{K}^{Top}_{0G}(X)\) and \(Wh^{Top}_ G(X\times \mathbb{R})\).